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Check out our Creation News Section!
Weekly articles, daily Q & A, and a Creation Comic!

http://www.heart4teens.com/

If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word
to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of teenagers
everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you,
you can join Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting:
http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Heart4Teens

Stop by our web site to view past stories or to browse through the tons of
resources we have there for teens!

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http://www.hearttouchers.com/filter

Finally there is a great filter to block Internet pornography and other
objectionable content! Kristi and I have used this filter for 6 years now
and want to recommend the Bsafe Online filter to you. We absolutely
love it. To find out more and get your own FREE 10-Day Trial,
just visit: http://www.Heart4Teens.com/filter


_____________________________________

http://www.hearttouchers.com/books

Michael's updated book Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith,
Love, and Laughter," is finally here! ($13.95)

Visit the link below to preview the book. Autographed copies are available
at no extra charge and we will pay the shipping for you. An e-book is also
available for $3.25.

http://www.Heart4Teens.com/books

Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for and then allow
about two weeks for us to sign it and send it on its way to you.Credit card,
PayPal, Checks, and Money orders accepted! The book is also available
through Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Booklocker.com

_________________________________


Before we get to today's article I wanted to let all of you teens and
college students know that we will be having a special showing of the
new Ben Stein movie called "Expelled". Youth Pastor Ben Breit is
organizing this event and asked if we wanted to jump on board. We
will be renting out an entire theater at Movies 10 here in Janesville
on Wednesday night April 23. The movie starts at 7 pm and will be
done at 8:30 pm. Cost is only $5.

If you are not familiar with this controversial movie that hits theaters nation wide this
Friday, check it out online at: http://www.expelledthemovie.com

This is a great opportunity to invite your friends! Come early for a good seat!

From my family to yours,

Author Michael T. Powers

_________________________________


Eat His Body and Drink His Blood?


WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE COMMANDED
US TO EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD? (ALL ABOUT COMMUNION)

It must have been an incredible sight to watch Jesus
preach. John 6 details a real-life meeting between Jesus,
the disciples, and 5,000 witnesses.

Can you imagine? They sat on a hill, Jesus at the bottom,
the disciples sitting at his feet listening to every word out of
this miracle healer's mouth. He was already gaining quite a
reputation for being a man who could perform miracles over
nature, and he even claimed to be able to forgive their sins.

The Bible doesn't describe the message. We don't know if
Jesus was preaching about following God or about a husband
treating a wife with respect. What we do know is that he was
setting the stage for something great!

The message was about to end, and Jesus leaned over to
Philip and said, "Where shall we buy bread for these people
to eat?" (John 6:5).

He knew what he was doing (verse 6). The Bible says he
already had a plan. He was testing Philip to see what the
disciples' response would be. I suppose you can infer that
he was ready to really put their faith to the test.

Crowds of people were following, but did they really believe
Jesus could perform a miracle this big--feeding 5,000 people?
(Actually, in Jesus' time, 5,000 referred to the number of men
only; there could have been double the amount if they counted
women and children.)

Can you imagine Philip's face when Jesus asked him where
to buy bread? To Philip, it probably seemed as if Jesus were
commanding him to go and find the money, the restaurant,
and the catering company to deliver the food; and surely the
crowd was getting hungry.

I don't know if you've ever seen a crowd go into a feeding frenzy,
but if they were anything like American crowds, Philip knew they
were about to have a problem.

They didn't have the money to feed all those people. They didn't
have the resources even if they had the money. There wasn't a
place where 10,000 people could sit down and eat all at the
same time. What was Philip to do?

You've probably read the story before. If not, check it out in John 6.
Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and prayed to
God to supply their need. The Bible records that the meal was
so bountiful the disciples picked up the scraps and filled 12
baskets with the leftovers. It was a miracle over nature.

The next day, Jesus began to teach the disciples about
bread that would keep you from going hungry (verses 32-59). He
gave them a history lesson of the Old Testament Israelites in
the desert and reminded them of God's provision in their hunger
by miraculously placing manna in the desert every morning for
them to eat.

Then he recalled the miracle just performed in front of their eyes,
as if to say, "Hey, guys, if I can provide you with physical food,
don't you think I can provide you with spiritual food?" He says
in John 6:53, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of
the Son of Man and drink his blood; you have no life in you."

He was making a point. You have physical hunger, but you
also have spiritual hunger. If I can feed your physical body,
don't worry--I'll take care of your spiritual body as well.

The New Testament is full of wonderful analogies of bread and
water as sustenance for our bodies, as well as Jesus' provision
and their meaning in our spiritual lives. Jesus even ends his
three-year earthly relationships with his disciples by conjuring
up an analogy of bread and wine as it relates to his body and blood.

WHY DID JESUS BREAK BREAD WITH THE DISCIPLES
BEFORE HE WENT TO DIE?

Just like baptism, the other sacrament you can find in almost
every church in the world is communion. It's the time when they
pull out the silver offering plates full of broken crackers and
grape juice--or whatever format your church uses.

Growing up, my pastor always used to tell us about how we are
to remember Jesus by eating his body, represented by the
bread, and drinking his blood, represented by the grape juice.
And although I think remembering Jesus' death on the cross
is vitally important, I don't think it's just Jesus' death that's
cause for this ceremony.

Jesus took his disciples into an upper room to eat the last supper.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks
and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and
eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and
offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins." --MATTHEW 26:26-28

What if he wasn't trying to tell the disciples to remember the
event of the crucifixion merely for the event itself? What if
Jesus was actually trying to communicate that the spiritual
sustenance was about to be poured out? He commanded

the disciples to remember--but remember what?

WHY DO WE "DO COMMUNION" TODAY?

I think communion is one of those things we need to take
a look at and ask ourselves if it's necessary to do it like
we've always done it.

Imagine for a minute you were about to give someone the
gift of eternal life, but you were going to have to face the
most excruciating torture known to the world to this point
in order to give it. If she accepted your gift, would you want
her reflecting on the sacrifice, or the gift?

I think Jesus wanted us to use communion as a rallying
cry, not as a memorial. He wanted us to remember his
sacrifice, sure; but I think he smiles down on us when we
|approach his throne with a joyful attitude of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving. Don't we have a holiday like that?

Isn't Thanksgiving the time when all our families gather
around one common table of thanks? We make certain
foods to remember the pilgrims and their voyage to
America. We give thanks for all the blessings we've had
during the year, and often those blessings include loud,
funny stories. Sometimes they even help us recall
embarrassing moments. We tell jokes. We have serious
talks. We sit around and remember--remember for the
sake of our family here in America.

I wonder if communion should be the Christian Thanksgiving
feast. What if we all gathered around a table and took
communion like we eat Thanksgiving dinner? We remember
the good times, we recall the sacrifice, and we celebrate
the fact that Jesus came to die so we could live. Wouldn't
that be cool?

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNION?

- Who are those free from sin?

- Who has received eternal life through Jesus?

- Who is set free from their old sinner selves and reconciled to a righteous God?
- Who has experienced God's grace?

- Who has accepted God's forgiveness?

- Who is living an abundant life because of Christ's death?

- Who is making disciples?

- Who is obeying Jesus' commands?

- Who really loves Jesus?

I suppose there's your answer.

**

Taken from "Duplicate This!" by Andy Braner, copyright 2008, Youth
Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=581


 

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Creation Q & A

Question:  Is antibiotic resistance proof of evolution?

It is true that certain bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. On
the surface, this may seem like evidence for evolution. After all, these
bacteria seemed to have "gained" something—a resistance which
they didn't have before.
 
It's easy to see how a student could be intimidated by teachers
who push evolution by declaring that bacteria have gained a
resistance. Thus, they supposedly evolved.
 
But, when you study the matter at a molecular level and
understand how this resistance came about, it becomes obvious
that it has nothing to do with molecules-to-man evolution.
 
Dr. Georgia Purdom explains:
 
Mutation and natural selection, thought to be the driving forces of
evolution, only lead to a loss of functional systems. Therefore,
antibiotic resistance of bacteria is not an example of evolution
in action but rather variation within a bacterial kind. For evolution
in the Darwinian sense to occur, an organism has to gain
information--information that previously did not exist. Bacterial
resistance has nothing to do with a gain of information: it can be
inherited from information that already existed, there could be a
loss of information, or there could be an exchange of previously
existing information from another bacterium. However, none of
this has anything whatsoever to do with molecules-to-man evolution.
 
For references and more information see:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/antibiotic-resistance-of-bacteria

 

Source: AnswersinGenesis.org



http://www.hearttouchers.com/Creation_News

Creation News

Click on the Bible above or visit the web site listed below!
http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Creation_News

This new addition to our web site will give you an article on the leading news
in the Creation/Evolution controversy each day.

This section also includes a rotating Question and Answer feature and a
weekly Creation Comic strip from the people at AnswersInGenesis.org.

Be sure to come back and visit each day for an informative article that will
help you keep up to date on the latest news in this controversial area!


___________________________________________

 
 
 
Thought For The Day

"It has been my observation that most people get
ahead during the time that others waste." --Henry Ford


Verse for the Day

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely
as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5


Teen's Thought For The Day

My teenager was headed to school one morning when I told him
that the neck tag on his shirt was hanging out. "I know," he
replied. "It's a fad me and some of the guys started." Weeks
later, as the style persisted, I commented, "I can't stand it!
Every time I see that, I want to fix it for you." I gently
tucked the tag in place and rumpled his hair.

"Yeah," he said smiling slyly. "All the girls do."


Parent's Thought For The Day

"Recall the aura, the ecstasy, the perfectness of your wedding
day. The vows are meticulously and faultlessly repeated. A stimulating
honeymoon reinforces the idealistic glow. Nothing could ever alter
the thrill of this hallowed occasion.

Then comes reality. The couple soon realizes marriage is not an
ongoing celebration of celestial dimensions. It's a lifelong process
of down-to-earth hard work -- worth every drop of sweat it produces."


Coach's Thought For The Day

"Those who coach must above all be able to coach themselves."
 

Creation/Evolution Thought For The Day

"...Yet Gould and the American Museum people are hard to
contradict when they say there are no transitional fossils... You
say I should at least 'show a photo of the fossil from which each
type of organism was derived.' I will lay it on the line - there is not
one such fossil for which one could make a watertight
argument." -Dr. Colin Patterson, ibid.


Writer's Thought For The Day

"When I sit at my table to write, I never know what it's going
to be until I'm under way. I trust in inspiration, which sometimes
comes and sometimes doesn't. But I don't sit back waiting for it.
I work every day." --Alberto Moravia


Deep Thought For The Day

I think the best way to argue with someone is
whenever they make a point say "That sounds
like something Hitler might say." They'll get really
quiet, and you can then make a counterpoint.


__________________________________________

 http://www.heart4teens.com/

Author MICHAEL T. POWERS
Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage
Soul and 26 other inspirational books.

Over 130,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup
Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled:
"Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them
just visit:
http://www.Heart4Teens.com and click on the link
to listen to the free streaming audio message!

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2:20

__________________________________________


http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/Youth

ALL-STAR Youth Ministry

--The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI
 
If you are in 7-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern
Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every
Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 PM at Faith Community
Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville,
WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of Menard's.)
 
Currently we have students from Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Milton,
Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Franklin, Clinton,
Beloit Memorial, and Beloit Turner. E-mail me back if you have
any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come
to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too
much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that
are relevant to you as a teenager.


This Week:

Continuing in our series entitled: "Demolishing Strongholds"

April 27: Special Forces for the Savior



Next Week:

May 4: Game Night!  (Our first night in the new youth room!!)

Visit our youth website to see our topics for 2008!

http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/upcoming_topics


____________________________
______________


http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/Small_Groups

Teen Community Groups

6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights -- These groups are limited to
no more than ten teens and are split into Jr. High and High
School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig
deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready
to be a part of the Xtreme Teens. These cell groups will also
be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to
build community.

Jr. High age meets at 2109 N. Pontiac and are led by Kent & Rachel Martin
(Call 373-0886 if you have any questions!)

High School age are led by Tedi Knox: 1110 Nantucket Dr.
(Call 774-2592 if you have any questions!)

Xtreme Teens: Xtreme Teens meet on Wednesday nights from
6:30 - 8:00 PM all year round at the Powers' house. This group
is very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service
projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an
application, provide references as to why others think they
should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what
is expected of them. Admission into Xtreme Teens is on a case
by case basis. Contact Pastor Michael for more details!

This Week April 23: All small groups attending the Ben
Stein movie: Expelled.

We are renting out a theater at Movies 10. Movie starts at
7 pm and parents can pick up their students at 8:30 pm from
Movies 10 here in Janesville.  Cost is only $5!  Invite your
friends to this controversial movie!

For more info on our small groups, visit: http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/small_groups

___________________________________


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